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Unpopular opinion: that $200 grocery budget challenge backfired on me
I tried the strict $200 monthly grocery budget everyone raves about in here. Two weeks in, I ran out of real food and had to eat ramen for 4 days straight, then caved and spent $60 on takeout. Was in my kitchen staring at an empty fridge trying to figure out how to stretch half a bag of rice. Is the extreme cut actually a win if it just pushes you to spend more later, or am I doing it wrong?
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noran2119d ago
Most people miss that the $200 budget assumes you already have a stocked pantry with basics like oil, spices, and rice. You can't start from zero and make that work unless you're eating lentils and eggs every single day. That breakdown you had is pretty normal because the system is designed for someone who already has a full fridge, not someone starting from scratch.
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ryan95218d ago
Man, PREACH! That is literally the biggest lie in those budget meal plans. They always act like everyone just has a cabinet full of olive oil and cumin already. I've tried starting from absolute zero and you burn through like forty bucks just on condiments and basics. It's SO frustrating because it makes people feel like they're failing at budgeting when really the system is broken from the start.
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